Formation of three dimensional objects including magnetic material

Abstract

Implementations described herein are directed to forming objects including one or more layers of a polymeric material that include a magnetic material. The objects can be produced by forming one or more first layers that include a first polymeric material. The one or more first layers can be free of a magnetic material. Additionally, the object can be produced by forming one or more second layers that include a second polymeric material having a magnetic material. For example, the one or more second layers can include a polymeric material embedded with magnetic particles. The one or more first layers and the one or more second layers can be formed by extruding the first polymeric material and the second polymeric material onto a substrate according to a pattern. A magnetizing device can be used to magnetize the magnetic material included in the one or more second layers.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus comprising:
 a first material source for a first polymeric material; 
 a second material source for a second polymeric material, the second polymeric material including a magnetic material; 
 a first extrusion component configured to deposit a plurality of layers of the first polymeric material onto a surface of a substrate; 
 a second extrusion component configured to deposit at least one layer of the second polymeric material onto at least one layer of the plurality of layers of the first polymeric material; and 
 a magnetizing device used to magnetize a layer of the second polymeric material, the magnetizing device comprising a first arm and a second arm. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least ono magnetizing device includes a first magnetizing device having a first polarity and a second magnetizing device having a second polarity. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the magnetic material of the at least one layer of the second polymeric material is magnetized by directing current through one or more of: a first coil of the first magnetizing device or a second coil of the second magnetizing device. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein, when the at least one layer of the second polymeric material is magnetized, a first set of particles of the magnetic material are magnetically aligned in a first direction. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein, when the at least one layer of the second polymeric material is magnetized, a second set of particles of the magnetic material are magnetically aligned in a second direction. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the magnetic material of the at least one layer of the second polymeric material is magnetized by positioning a first magnetic plate of the first magnetizing device and a second magnetic plate of the second magnetizing device about the at least one layer. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one layer of the second polymeric material comprises a first plurality of particles having the first polarity and a second plurality of particles having the second polarity. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the first polymeric material comprises an amount of at least one of:
 thermoplastic polymers; 
 polyesters; or 
 glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate. 
 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the second polymeric material comprises at least one of:
 Neodymium; 
 Niobium; 
 Boron; or 
 Iron. 
 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising: at least one rail movably coupled to the first arm and the second arm; and a control system including: one or more processors; and one or more computer storage media storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to perform a set of operations comprising: moving the first arm to a first location about a movement rail and the second arm to a second location about the movement rail; and causing the first arm and the second arm to generate a magnetic field that includes a portion of the magnetic material. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one rail includes a first rail and a second rail, and wherein the set of operations further comprises moving the first arm along the first rail to the first location and moving the second arm along the second rail to the second location. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 10 , the set of operations further comprising moving the first extrusion component and the second extrusion component. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 10 , the set of operations further comprising adjusting a rate at which the first extrusion component is configured to deposit the first polymeric material from a first extrusion head. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 13 , the set of operations further comprising adjusting a first temperature of the first extrusion head. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 14 , the set of operations further comprising adjusting a second temperature of a second extrusion head of the second extrusion component. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the first temperature of the first extrusion head and the second temperature of the second extrusion head are different. 
     
     
       17. The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the set of operations further comprises heating the substrate. 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of  claim 1 , the apparatus further comprising a housing containing the first extrusion component, the second extrusion component, the first arm, the second arm, and the substrate. 
     
     
       19. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first arm comprises a first elbow and a magnetically permeable material. 
     
     
       20. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first polymeric material is free of the magnetic material.